HarpNinja
3479 posts
Sep 25, 2013
7:57 AM
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This really comes down to the parameters of what best harp player means. We will all approach that differently.
I would assume that unless a style or genre is specifically mentioned, it means all-around. I would also assume that best and my favorite aren't necessarily correlated.
I was fortunate to study with both Clint Hoover and Chris Michalek, that drastically skews my perception of both of them. I think either of them could hang with anyone in just about any context because I've heard them do it.
I have a rare CD of Clint's in which he is playing heavily distorted rock chromatic from the 80's...just insane stuff. I've seen Chris jam live with Jason Ricci and Howard Levy too. In lessons, I've heard them both play TB blues that is right on the money with anyone and they nail world music in the next phrase.
My point being that they are just two examples of harmonica players that would kill in just about any live setting, whether blues or not. Personally, I think best overall can't be limited to one style of music or genre.
I need to hear them in several contexts and still have them pass the ear test.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
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FreeWilly
345 posts
Sep 25, 2013
8:17 AM
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Mike, if you would show me one Youtube vid to convince me of Chris's playing, what would it be?
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Buzadero
1121 posts
Sep 25, 2013
8:31 AM
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Part of the sad loss of Michalek is the (to me, anyway) distinct lack of a full and comprehensive catalog of just what he was capable of. Yes, of course, this MBH forum was a comprehensive catalog of his playful trickster assholery, but I'm referring to his harp playing.
I spent a good bit of time with Chris at his house. He was very comfortable in his almost effortless ability to pick up a harp and duplicate other styles, genres and techniques with an uncanny level of mimicry. That always amazed me.
When hearing his stuff via recorded pieces, he always sounded far less comfortable than when he was live and informal. Sometimes almost stilted and tentative. What I mean is that in my opinion the best of Buddha may never have been documented. A shame.
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~Buzadero
Underwater Janitor, Patriot
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HarpNinja
3482 posts
Sep 25, 2013
8:36 AM
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Here's a YT example of blues. I have to do some digging, most of the stuff I've heard recorded is not on YT, but was audio stuff. I thought Chris had a bunch of Michalek-Strone stuff on archive.org, but I can't find it.
There was also several songs from a second MS album that wasn't finished. I have all that stuff somewhere, but not at the moment. The live stuff is pretty amazing...I think the YT lessons aren't good exemplars, and he never shared a lot from the first MS album...I'll do some digging.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
Last Edited by HarpNinja on Sep 25, 2013 9:40 AM
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HarpNinja
3483 posts
Sep 25, 2013
8:43 AM
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I visited Chris in AZ a LOOONG time ago...maybe 2006ish. Jason and company were in town that week and we went to see them play. Chris sat in. I sat in (and got to use Chris's LF Filisko). This was before he started customizing for others. I remember way too much about that week as it was life changing in many ways.
At any rate, he had had some health issues around that time that really changed his playing style, but made it in many ways more melodic and voice-like.
I can't find it anywhere online( I found the CD on iTunes. I think the song I am talking about is Pentahouse), but there is a tune toward the end of the first Michalek-Strone disc where the first minute of the song was enough to make a believer out of anyone. It was a crazy time signature and he played this massive double stop after an insane horn line.
Every time I hear that intro, I want to quit playing harmonica.
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
Last Edited by HarpNinja on Sep 25, 2013 9:40 AM
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HarpNinja
3484 posts
Sep 25, 2013
8:51 AM
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Dude, I wouldn't sweat it, nor call it a clam!
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Mantra Customized Harmonicas
My Website
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harpdude61
1840 posts
Sep 25, 2013
9:11 AM
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Rubin, Ice, and others....sure we as harp players will vary in taste....but I said put individual opinions aside and wager with a bookie on my scenario.
Ice, I wish you could see the guitar players around here cut heads. More fun and mutual respect than I have ever seen. Hugging and putting ice on the other guys hands.FUN!
Ego is a good thing if you can handle it. Never will forget at HCH when the announcement was made for a sign up sheet for Deaks jam.SWARM! In general players with egos are better players.
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Grey Owl
324 posts
Sep 25, 2013
9:12 AM
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Like Wheel 'best' for me is a virtuoso player across various musical genres with shed loads of musicality and who is able to express emotion and capable of surprising. My vote would go to JJ Milteau
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Grey Owl YouTube
Grey Owl Abstract Photos
Last Edited by Grey Owl on Sep 25, 2013 9:16 AM
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tmf714
2051 posts
Sep 25, 2013
9:20 AM
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"TMF, Laugh away, although excellent at the techniques Levy uses, there are but few of them. Or can you name some that I did not?"
Well-lets see-the most obvious for me would be playing harp with one hand and piano with the other-and playing the strings INSIDE the piano itself-I had never seen that done before I saw Howard doing it.
Now,of course,I am speaking of the best player musically here-and for me that's what it is all about. If the playing holds no merit musically-I am out.
Dennis Gruenling runs a very close second in my book for the same reason.
If you want to divide "best" into generes-thats another question altogether.
As the player who really brought overblowing to the forefront,the mans technical merits are beyond reproach.
Last Edited by tmf714 on Sep 25, 2013 9:22 AM
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Thievin' Heathen
250 posts
Sep 25, 2013
10:36 AM
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Wow Adam..,
"The first lesson we old heads teach--and you should know this, and surely do--is Take your time. There's time. There's time. Give it time"
Really?
If there is 1 thing being an old head has taught me, it is, there is nowhere near enough time. Do it now.
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FreeWilly
346 posts
Sep 25, 2013
11:57 AM
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Thanks! Shame that there's so little to be heard of someone so many rave about.
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Gnarly
716 posts
Sep 25, 2013
12:19 PM
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Chris plays a tune on Bill Barrett's "duets" release . . .
http://www.americanmusicforgypsysouls.com/Home.html
The tune is "Howlin'", and Chris's solo comes at 1:23.
Bill's in Europe, tryin' to cause trouble--wish him luck!
Last Edited by Gnarly on Sep 25, 2013 12:20 PM
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harpdude61
1842 posts
Sep 25, 2013
12:28 PM
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CHris is for sure world class in the video. But Jason justs rolls man! He is like SRV was ..great stuff just keeps coming with effortless power and emotion.
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bazzzzou
129 posts
Sep 25, 2013
12:49 PM
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If we talk about technique, no one is able to compete with howard levy, if we talk about technique and feeling, ricci and todd are amazing, ricci can play very fast and is impressive with the ´´shred´´ kind of things, and if you just talk about feeling, i would put sonny boy ll on the top of the list
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kudzurunner
4282 posts
Sep 25, 2013
12:52 PM
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@Thievin: Of course the day should be seized. But it shouldn't be seized in a spirit of anxiety. That's the wisdom behind the phrase "Take your time." Young people are impatient, and occasionally old people--or stage-moms and stage-dads, or mentors thinking that they're nurturing young people--are impatient, too. Little Walter was impatient. He left Muddy's band the moment "Juke" came out. So impatience in a blues player isn't always a bad thing. Still, I believe that nurturing the young requires a balance of encouragement ("Push ahead! You're the best!") and wise counsel about how long and challenging the road to mastery actually is.
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bazzzzou
130 posts
Sep 25, 2013
12:53 PM
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I agree with harpdude61! Ricci is the SRV of the harp, not the most technical player, but an amazing performer who plays and sounds amazing without any effort!
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TheoBurke
469 posts
Sep 25, 2013
1:02 PM
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Howard Levy is the best diatonica player working, I think, and that's saying something because there are some very talented and brilliant harmonica players out there. Levy has the crucial advantage of extensive classical and jazz training and is a concert-quality pianist as well--as an improvisor he imagines connection between a host of things that are heady things to contend with, and he has the means to play them on the diatonic harmonica musically, cleanly, fluidly. His ability to play a variety of genres on the instrument , whether classical, blues, blue grass, bebop, dixieland--and his skill at ad libbing solos based on the genre specifics of what he's playing simply make his combination of technique, speed, and versatility unbeatable, in my opinion. Another appealing facet of Levy's music is it maintains that intuitive feel, that he is actually feeling his improvisations in the moment rather than sound mechanical. After Levy is Jason, who has a level of musician that, like Levy's, seems reserved for gods.
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Ted Burke
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheoBurke?feature=mhee
http://ted-burke.com
tburke4@san.rr.co,
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Lmbrjak
193 posts
Sep 25, 2013
6:11 PM
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900 movies, 50 tv series,over70 albums...jazz,blues,rock,classical Bass harp,chrome,diatonic etc. Nobody has been heard by more people than Tommy Morgan.
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roadharp
108 posts
Sep 25, 2013
7:04 PM
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James Cotton!
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Komuso
174 posts
Sep 25, 2013
7:34 PM
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No one
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Paul Cohen aka Komuso Tokugawa
HarpNinja - Your harmonica Mojo Dojo
Bringing the Boogie to the Bitstream
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JInx
550 posts
Sep 25, 2013
7:54 PM
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This is crazy. you guys find him to be the "best", I find him un listenable.
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Burn, burn, burn
Soon, soon, soon
Moon, moon, moon
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FreeWilly
347 posts
Sep 25, 2013
11:27 PM
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Groyster, that's the other thread: how many pro players are there :)
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SuperBee
1443 posts
Sep 26, 2013
2:15 PM
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I guess it's pedantic, but the OP was about living players.
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Libertad
242 posts
Sep 26, 2013
2:51 PM
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For, from the heart.... and a definite inspiration, for me it's Jason. In second place Jason and in third............ but what do I know!
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garry
443 posts
Sep 27, 2013
7:01 AM
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FWIW, there are two recordings on archive.org with Jason and Chris. one from the Bird Cage Saloon on February 25, 2006 features Chris on Dotechahedron, Buddha's Jam and Cissy Strut. The notes say that HarpNinja played as well, but was not recorded.
The other may be what the above video comes from, because Michael is also on it. It's from the
Boulder Outlook Hotel on May 5, 2007
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Last Edited by garry on Sep 27, 2013 7:02 AM
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garry
444 posts
Sep 27, 2013
7:09 AM
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judging by conversations i've had with jason, i think he would scoff at being placed above howard on any such list. but that's just my interpretation.
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harpdude61
1845 posts
Sep 27, 2013
8:28 AM
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garry..Hendrix and SRV were the same way. The greats are always humble. Not like he's gonna say "Hell yeah I'm da man"! Jason is way to classy for that.
Jason at his best with a great band and an eager crowd is gonna be very hard to top in the blues diatonic world!! If there is better I can't wait to hear it!
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Grey Owl
332 posts
Sep 27, 2013
8:48 AM
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I love Jason's playing. He is a spectacular player. His raw energy and dynamic virtuosity at his best is a joy to behold and gives me goosebumps.
Probably my tastes have changed as I've got older and I can only listen to so much at this level of intensity and so prefer to listen to a set which incorporates a broader musical spectrum and that's why I wouldn't have Jason at No 1 but he is mighty good!
I would love to hear who Jason thinks is the best player present and past.
'Best' is a minefield...favourite (Not a typo..UK spelling) :) would probably be fairer.
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Grey Owl YouTube
Grey Owl Abstract Photos
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lumpy wafflesquirt
744 posts
Sep 27, 2013
10:19 AM
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Best Player? that's subjective isn't it.
Juke Joint John.
Just because you haven't heard of him doesn't mean he isn't the best to my ears.
You can't really say someone is the best in the world if you haven't heard everyone play.
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"Come on Brackett let's get changed"
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garry
445 posts
Sep 27, 2013
6:37 PM
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his brother, Juke Joint Jake, is better.
obviously.
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Frans Belgium
1 post
Sep 28, 2013
3:02 AM
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Last Edited by Frans Belgium on Sep 28, 2013 10:25 AM
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Komuso
175 posts
Sep 28, 2013
8:25 AM
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I like this guy. Enthusiastic!
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Paul Cohen aka Komuso Tokugawa
HarpNinja - Your harmonica Mojo Dojo
Bringing the Boogie to the Bitstream
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Frans Belgium
4 posts
Sep 28, 2013
10:22 AM
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If you ask me who's the best, I don't get drawn into that kind of discussion.
If you'd ask me who I like, I might give you a few dozen names. Matyas Pribojszki could be one of them Only dropping his name because he's European and maybe less known in the StatesI can't even say who I like best, so many great players out there and they all have (had) something
If anyone, I'd say Rice Miller, but he's dead, so that doesn't count ;-)
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boris_plotnikov
878 posts
Oct 01, 2013
3:17 PM
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Just technically and profissonally musically speaking, excluding soul/emotional context Howard Levy is far much more progressive than all other living harmonica players. Yes some have one or two skills better than Howard, but not the whole complex.
The only one guy is very close to Howard is Sebastien Charlier.
Anyway my current top players are Chris Michalek and John Popper, than Jason Ricci.
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Excuse my bad English.
My videos.
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thewiz88
3 posts
Oct 01, 2013
5:51 PM
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IMHO there no "best "
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